Tottenham's All-Time XI Vote: Left-Back

Who is the greatest left-back to play for Tottenham in the Premiership era? You've already started voting on the goalkeeper and the right-back, so now it's time to decide Tottenham's left-sided defender to go in the all-star XI.

You'll need to vote for your favourite below, and remember to back up your vote with a comment, because if it's close, the arguments might swing the outcome in your choice's favour! Before we get started, you can still vote for the goalkeeper and right-back here:

So let's get started on the third installment. Tottenham have not been blessed with a long line of top class left-backs, but here are the contenders:

Mauricio Taricco

Following in the footsteps of legendary Argentinians Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa was never going to be easy, but Mauricio Taricco was a solid performer for Spurs during a time when they were a relatively mediocre Premiership outfit.

Although naturally right-footed, he plied his trade on the left hand side of the defence, with Stephen Carr performing so admirably on the opposite flank. His time at White Hart Lane was not littered with highlights, but he was a solid performer—both as a defender and in an attacking capacity. If you want your left-back to be reliable and calm under pressure, then Taricco is your man.

Vote for your left-back here:

Vote for your left-back here:

Mauricio Taricco

2.8%

Christian Ziege

19.1%

Lee Young-Pyo

7.2%

Benoit Assou-Ekotto

70.9%

Total votes: 828

Christian Ziege

Possibly one of the greatest attacking full-backs Europe has ever produced, the 1996 European Championships winner graced White Hart Lane for three seasons, but only managed to make 47 appearances during that time. He made a good goalscoring contribution to Tottenham's generally under-achieving performance, including a strike in the 2002 League Cup Final defeat against Blackburn Rovers.

His spell at the club (and his career thereafter) was ravaged by injury, which ultimately led him to leave England and retire from football only 15 months later. World Cup finalists don't often drop in at the Lane, however, so he should be celebrated for that at least!

One last interesting fact: Ziege is the only man to have played in the Munich, Merseyside, Milan and North London derbies.

Lee Young-Pyo

During Tottenham's transitional period, in which they went from mid-table under-achievers to European contenders under Martin Jol, this South Korean ran the left-hand side with distinction. Although Spurs had Aaron Lennon on the right wing to support the right-sided defender, there was never a consistent left-sided midfielder for Lee to work with. This, along with the fact that this was a relatively successful spell for the club, speaks volumes for the contribution he made.

He was a member of the 2008 League-Cup-winning side that beat Chelsea at Wembley, but eventually left that same summer after falling behind Benoit Assou-Ekotto in then-manager Juande Ramos's squad. Following the emergence of Gareth Bale, also considered a left-back at the time, he was considered surplus to requirements and was sold to Borussia Dortmund.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto

Tottenham's current left-back has played over 100 league games for the club, which in itself is a testament to his consistency and reliability. He is a hard character to sum up, but his time at Spurs has coincided with their most successful period in Premier League history, including securing Champions League football for the first time and charging as far as the quarterfinals of the very same competition.

As cool under pressure as they come, "Benny" doesn't offer as much in the attacking department as his right-sided counterpart, Kyle Walker, but, with Gareth Bale running defenders ragged up and down the country, that element of his game is not too sorely missed.

Capable of a rocket shot (just witness the bullet he scored against Liverpool in August 2009), Assou-Ekotto is one of the most-liked players in the current Tottenham squad and is one of the first names on Harry Redknapp's team sheet every week.

So there you have it: This could be another close one, so make sure you vote for your favourite and back it up with some comments below to ensure your man has the best chance of making it into the all-time Spurs XI of the Premiership era.